Synthetic flooring apparatus

ABSTRACT

A modular floor tile is disclosed having a top surface made of a plurality of rib members defining openings between the rib members. A plurality of edge surfaces defines a perimeter about the top surface and a support system is integrally formed with and disposed at least partially beneath the top surface. The support system is capable of maintaining the top surface elevated above a ground surface when a load is not placed on the top surface. The support system has a primary support member disposed within the openings between the rib members. The primary support member is operably connected to a plurality of arms extending laterally from the structural member to the primary support member and is capable of vertical movement within the opening when a load is applied to the top surface.

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present technology relates to synthetic flooring and moreparticularly to devices and methods for absorbing a load placed on a topsurface of a modular synthetic floor tile.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND RELATED ART

Suspended flooring and modular floor tiles have been used for numerousyears in connection with improved safety, appearance, and function. Inrecent years, synthetic modular flooring products have been used forthese purposes and more frequently used in connection with sportingevents. Many of these flooring products, however, offer little to noimpact absorbing characteristics resulting in increased fatigue orinjury from walking, running, jumping, or other activities on theflooring. Namely, in order to ensure the top surface of the floor issufficiently firm to provide “ball-bounce” characteristics and providesufficient friction, synthetic floor tiles are made from a rigid orsemi-rigid material which yields very little under normal use.

Attempts have been made to improve the impact absorbing characteristicsof synthetic flooring products. Examples include, but are not limited toU.S. Pat. Nos. 7,587,865, 7,748,177, and 8,505,256, but each technologydescribed in those cases contains deficiencies. It is thereforedesirable to have a synthetic flooring product with improved impactabsorbing characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present technology will become more fully apparent from thefollowing description and appended claims, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings. Understanding that these drawings merely depictexemplary aspects of the present technology, they are therefore not tobe considered limiting of its scope. It will be readily appreciated thatthe components of the present technology, as generally described andillustrated in the figures herein, could be arranged and designed in awide variety of different configurations. Nonetheless, the technologywill be described and explained with additional specificity and detailthrough the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordancewith one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the synthetic modular floor tile of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the synthetic modular floor tile ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of two modular floor tiles coupled together;

FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view of two modular floor tiles coupledtogether;

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of an opening and support system of aportion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspectof the technology;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of FIG. 6 with no load placed on the top of theportion of the synthetic modular floor tile;

FIG. 9 is a side view of FIG. 6 showing a load placed on the top of theportion of the synthetic modular floor tile and the resulting flexaction of the arms in accordance with one aspect of the technology;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of an opening and support system of aportion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspectof the technology;

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of an opening and support system of aportion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspectof the technology;

FIG. 13 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a top perspective view of an opening and support system of aportion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspectof the technology;

FIG. 15 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a top perspective view of an opening and support system of aportion of a synthetic modular floor tile in accordance with one aspectof the technology; and

FIG. 17 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of exemplary aspects of thetechnology makes reference to the accompanying drawings, which form apart hereof and in which are shown, by way of illustration, exemplaryaspects in which the technology may be practiced. While these exemplaryaspects are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled inthe art to practice the technology, it should be understood that otheraspects may be realized and that various changes to the technology maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the presenttechnology. Thus, the following more detailed description of the aspectsof the present technology is not intended to limit the scope of thetechnology, as claimed, but is presented for purposes of illustrationonly and not limitation to describe the features and characteristics ofthe present technology and to sufficiently enable one skilled in the artto practice the technology. Accordingly, the scope of the presenttechnology is to be defined solely by the appended claims.

The following detailed description and exemplary aspects of thetechnology will be best understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein the elements and features of the technology aredesignated by numerals throughout.

The present technology describes an improved modular floor tile having atop surface comprising a plurality of rib or structural members definingopenings between the rib members. “Openings” refers to holes, gaps, orspaces through which a fluid or other object may pass. A perimeter ofthe tile is defined by outer edge surfaces. A support system isintegrally formed from and disposed at least partially beneath the topsurface. Generally speaking, the support system is capable ofmaintaining the top surface elevated above a ground surface. The supportsystem comprises a primary support member disposed within the openingsbetween the rib members. That primary support member is operablyconnected to a plurality of arms extending outward from the primarysupport member. The primary support member is configured for verticalmovement within the opening when a load is applied to the top surfacecausing the arms to flex. A plurality of secondary support members,which are elevated above the ground surface when the tile is in anunbiased state, limit the vertical movement of the primary supportmember within the opening thereby limiting the downward movement of thetile when placed under a load. In this manner, loads placed on the topof the tile are absorbed by the flexing arms and further absorbed by thesecondary support members.

With specific reference to FIGS. 1-5, a modular tile 10 is shown and isconfigured to be coupled with adjoining modular tiles to form a floorcovering for athletics or any other desirable purpose. The modular tilesprovide enhanced impact absorbing characteristics to lessen fatigue andminimize injury resulting from activities on rigid surfaces such asconcrete, asphalt and the like. The tiles may be formed from anysuitable rigid or semi-rigid material, such as a polymeric material, andmay be formed using molding techniques known in the art such asinjection molding, compression molding and the like and are formed ormolded in a single, integrated tile. In a preferred embodiment, thetiles are not made of substantially compressible material (such as softrubber) as they do not provide adequate ball-bouncing characteristics orare otherwise undesirable for sports or other activities.

The modular tile 10 includes a top surface 15 with an opposite bottomside 20. The top surface 15 can be smooth, perforated, grid-like,bumped, textured, or have any other configuration as suits a particularpurpose for a synthetic floor covering. The top surface 15 includes aperiphery with a square or rectangular shape defining a front side 25, arear side 26, and opposing first and second sides 27, 28. Other suitableperipheral shapes for the tiles are contemplated herein such astriangular, hexagonal, etc. Each of the front side, rear side, and firstand second sides include side walls 30 with one or more male or femalecoupling members 35, 36 for adjoining adjacent tiles. Male member 35comprises a downward post structure 37 with a laterally extending tab38. The female member 36 comprises a loop 39 configured to receive thepost structure 37 therein with the tab member 38 positioned beneath thesidewall 40.

Additional male and female coupling members are disposed about the sidesof the tiles and configured to provide additional connection for thetiles. Male post member 41 is disposed about the bottom side 20 of thetile 10 and is configured to be positioned within the opening 42 infemale member 43. Female member 43 is configured for placement withinaperture 44 in sidewall 30. Male post member 41 comprises a generalI-shape having a longitudinal axis substantially equivalent in length tothe longitudinal length of the opening 42 in female member 43. Theheight of the aperture 44 is equivalent to the height of the femalemember 43.

With reference generally to FIGS. 1-5 and specifically to FIGS. 6 and 7,the bottom side 20 of tile 10 includes a support grid configured tosupport the top surface 15 about the ground. In accordance with oneaspect of the technology, the top surface 15 comprises a plurality ofopenings 16 that are defined by structural members 51. In one aspect,the structural members comprise intersecting rib members. An upper planeof the opening 16 is defined by the upper surface 52 of the intersectingrib members 51. A bottom plane of the opening 16 is defined by thebottom surface 53 of the intersecting rib members 51. The openings 16are further defined by sidewalls 56 of the rib members 51. The supportgrid comprises a plurality of primary post structures 60 disposed aboutthe bottom 20 of the tile 10. As the term is used herein, “post” refersto a generally upright structure that tends to be vertical and has aheight that is greater than its width. When the tile 10 is placed on aground surface and is in an unbiased state (i.e., no load is placed onthe top of the tile), the primary support posts 60 are the only portionof the tile 10 in contact with the ground surface. The top 62 of thesupport post 60 is disposed within the center of the openings 16 andwithin the area defined by the upper and lower planes of the openings.

In one aspect of the technology, the post structure is generallycross-shaped. However, the use of different shapes and configurations(cylindrical, rectangular, triangular, etc.) are contemplated for useherein so long as the support function is accomplished. The primarysupport post 60 is formed from the same material used for the topsurface 15 of the tile 10 and arms 61. In one aspect of the technology,the support posts 60 are formed from the same mold used to form theentire tile 10. The primary support posts 60 are coupled to the tile 10by a plurality of arms 61 extending outward from primary support posts60. The primary support posts 60 are disposed within the center of theopening 16 having arms 61 extending laterally away from the post andconnecting to the ribs 51 at the vertex 55 of intersecting rib members.The arms 61 are generally rectangular but may also be triangular,circular, or shaped like a rhombus or other desirable shape. In oneaspect of the invention, the arms have substantially parallel top andbottom surfaces. The top surface is narrower than the bottom surface andsubstantially centered over the top surface. The side surface tapersoutwardly from the top surface to the bottom surface.

When moving on a conventional floor, the force associated with jumping,walking, or running on the floor is transferred directly between thefloor and the foot of the person. This results in fatigue and possibleinjury. Advantageously, with aspects of the present technology, when aload is placed on the top surface 15 of the tile 10, the arms 61 flex,allowing the tile 10 to move downward. Because the top 62 of the primarysupport posts 60 is located within the opening 16 and is unencumbered bya rigid material above the structure, the ribs 51 move downward over theprimary support posts 60 as the arms 61 flex. The flexing operation ofthe arms absorbs some of the impact associated with the load placed onthe top of the tile and thereby lessens the transfer of force from theground to the foot of the person.

In one aspect of the technology, a top 62 of the primary post structure60 is disposed below the upper plane of the opening 16 but above thebottom plane of the opening 16. The arms 61 are connected to the primarypost 60 near the top 62 of each portion of the cross 64 forming theprimary support post 60. A taper on the top 65 and bottom 66 portion ofeach arm 61 is formed as a transition between the arm 61 and primarysupport posts 60. A bottom of the arm 61 is coplanar with a bottom 53 ofthe ribs 51. However, in another aspect, a top of the arm 61 is coplanarwith a top 52 of the ribs 51. In one aspect of the technology, the arms61 extend outward from the primary support post 60 near the top 62 ordirectly from the top 62, though the arms 61 may connect to the primarysupport post 60 at any location along the support posts 60 as suits aparticular design.

For example, with reference generally to FIGS. 10 and 11, the arms 61are connected to the primary support post 60 at a position near themiddle of the primary support post 60. In another example, the arms 61may connect to the primary support post 60 near the bottom of theprimary support post 60. In either of these examples, the arms 61 canextend upward as well as laterally to couple to the rib members 51 atthe vertex 55 of intersecting ribs 51. Additionally, while the arms areshown as plurality of elongate members, the arms may comprise aplurality of different members in various shapes and configurations,including, but not limited to, an L-shaped or arcuate shaped arm.Different arm configurations may be used to absorb the loads placed onthe tile 10 so long as the arms flex to absorb the load. Advantageously,no separate insert or secondary material is required to absorb a loadplaced on the tile.

With reference now to FIGS. 12 and 13, in another aspect of thetechnology, the arms 61 are connected to the primary support post 60near the middle of the primary support post 60 and extend outwardlaterally to couple (i.e., connect) to secondary support posts 70. Inthis aspect, it is not necessary for the arms 61 to couple to the tile10 at the vertex 55 of interconnecting ribs 51. In other aspects, thearms 61 can extend outward from the primary support post 60 and connectto ribs 51 along the inner side wall 56 of a rib 51 (see, e.g., FIGS. 14and 15). Additionally, it is not necessary that the arm 61 necessarilyconnect to the rib 51 near a bottom 53 of rib 51. Rather, the arm 61 cancouple to the rib 51 near an upper surface 52 of the rib 51.

With reference generally to FIGS. 5 through 9, a plurality of secondarysupport posts 70 are disposed about the bottom 20 of the tile 10 andarrayed about the primary support posts 60. In accordance with oneaspect of the technology, the secondary support posts 70 have alongitudinal length that is less than the length of the primary supportposts 60. In this manner, the primary support post 60 acts to maintainthe secondary support posts 70 a distance 71 above the ground when thetile 10 is in an unbiased (i.e., no load) state. When a load “L” isplaced on the top of the tile 10, the arms 61 flex allowing the tile 10,including the secondary support posts 70, to move downward. Thesecondary support posts 70 limit downward movement of the tile 10 andprevent over-flexing of the arms 61 which can result in plasticdeformation of the arms 61. In one aspect of the technology, thedistance from the top 62 of primary support post 60 and the distance 71between the ground and the bottom of support posts 70 are substantiallythe same. That is, the length of the secondary support posts 70 andprimary support posts 60 are reconciled so that when a load L is placedon the tile 10, the secondary support posts 70 come into contact withthe ground and the top 62 of the primary support post 60 is insubstantially the same plane as the top 52 of the ribs 51. In thismanner, the total surface area available for frictional contact betweenthe foot of a person and the tile is temporarily increased duringactivity on the tile 10. Advantageously, because the secondary supportposts 70 limit the upward movement of the primary support post 60through the upper plane of the opening 16, the top 62 of the primarysupport post 60 does not become a raised surface that may increaseabrasion during a fall yet still acts to increase the total surface areaof the playing surface. Because the arms 61 elevate the tile 10 abovethe ground surface when it is in an unloaded state, when loaded, thearms 61 act as a spring containing an amount of potential energy. Inthis manner, the biased arms create an upward force (or spring) to helpgive added mobility to the person running, jumping, walking, etc. on thefloor tile.

In another aspect of the technology, the top 62 of the primary supportpost 60 can be disposed beneath the opening 16 when the tile 10 is in anunbiased state. When a load “L” is placed on the top 15 of the tile, thetop 62 of the primary support post 60 can advance upward to beneath theupper surface 52 of ribs 51, co-planar with the upper surface 52 (asshown in FIG. 7), or above the upper surface 52 of the ribs 51 as suitsa particular application. The sidewalls 40 about the perimeter of thetile 10 are also configured to have a length similar to the length ofthe secondary support posts 70. In this manner, the sidewalls 40 alsolimit the vertical travel of the primary support post 60. In addition,while the top 62 of the primary support post 60 is shown as planar, itmay also have a dome-like structure. In this manner, if it is desiredthat the top 62 of the primary support post 60 terminate in its verticaltravel slightly above the top surface 52 of the rib members 51,additional traction may be created without creating unwanted abrasion.

In accordance with one aspect of the technology, and by way of exampleonly, the rib members 51 range from approximately 0.05 to 0.25 incheswide and 0.05 to 0.5 inches in height. The primary post structure 60ranges from 0.25 to 1 inch in height and the secondary post structures70 range from 0.25 to 1 inch in height. The area within the openings 16can range from 0.15 square inches to 3.25 square inches and can berectangular as shown in FIGS. 6 through 14, triangular as shown in FIGS.16 and 17, circular, or any other shape as suits a particular design.With reference to the triangular openings shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, theprimary support post 60 resides within the center of the opening 16similar to the disposition within a rectangular opening. A plurality ofarms 61 extend outward from the primary support post 60 and connect tothe vertex 55 of intersecting rib members 51. As with the rectangularopenings, it is not necessary for the arms 61 to connect to the ribmembers 51 at the vertex 55 of intersecting rib members 51. Rather, thearms 61 may connect to the rib members 51 at an inner side wall. In oneaspect, the arms 61 do not connect to the rib members 51. Rather, thearms 61 extend outwardly from the primary support post 60 and connect tothe secondary support posts 70. A plurality of three secondary supportposts 70 are arrayed about the primary support post 60. The secondarysupport posts 70 extend downward from the bottom 20 of the tile 10 nearthe vertex 55 of intersecting rib members 55. Similar modifications tothe triangular opening embodiment may be made as discussed above withrespect to the rectangular opening. For example, the arms 61 need not besingle elongate members and the arms 61 need not couple to the primarysupport post 60 near the top 62 of the support post 60. Moreover, theshape of the primary support post 60 and secondary support post 70 maybe varied as suits a particular application and design.

While specific reference is made herein to an open-top tileconfiguration, a closed-top tile configuration is also contemplated. Inone aspect of the technology, intersecting rib members 51 may not act asthe upper contact surface for the end-user of the tile 10. Rather, asubstantially planar playing surface may be placed on the rib structuredescribed herein with modifications to the placement and design of theprimary support post 60 within the opening 16. In this aspect, thedistance between the top 62 of the primary support post 60 and thebottom of the planar surface is greater than the distance 71 between thebottom of secondary support posts 70 and the ground surface. In thismanner, the flexing action of arms 61 absorbs impact on the top surfaceof the tile 10. The vertical travel of the primary support post 60 islimited by the secondary support posts 70, not by any encumbrancebetween the top 62 of the primary support post 60 and the bottom of theplanar playing surface.

While specific reference is made herein to a top surface 15 comprisingintersecting ribs 51, it is understood and contemplated herein that anumber of surface configurations may be used. For example, asubstantially solid top surface may be used having a plurality ofopenings disposed therein. The openings may be circular, rectangular, ortriangular, or any other desirable shape, and can be molded as part ofthe tile. Importantly, whatever the shape of the opening and whateverthe configuration of the top surface (be it intersecting ribs orotherwise), a primary support post is disposed substantially within thecenter of the opening; the primary support post having at least two armsextending outward from the support post and being coupled to the tile insome fashion. As noted above, the arms can couple to the sidewall of theopening, a corner of the opening, secondary support members (alsodiscussed above) or to a bottom portion of the tile and flex in responseto a load being placed on a top of the tile, allowing vertical travel ofthe primary support post.

In one aspect of the technology, a flexible or compressible material(such as rubber or the like) may be placed beneath the tile to furtherabsorb the load. In this aspect, the secondary support members aresubstantially shorter than the primary support members and the flexiblematerial is placed about the bottom of the tile to further absorb theload placed on the top of the tile and limit the flexing action of thearms. The secondary support posts contact the ground only after theflexible material is compressed.

In accordance with one aspect of the technology, more than one primarysupport post can be placed within any one opening of the tile. Forexample, two primary support posts can be placed within the center of arectangular opening. The two primary support posts can be connected by asingle arm. Two arms can extend from each one of the primary supportposts and couple with the two closest vertices of the rectangularopening.

A method of absorbing at least a portion of a load applied to a top of aflooring surface is also contemplated herein. The method comprisesproviding a modular floor tile disposed about a ground surface. Thefloor tile comprises a substantially flat upper playing surface having aplurality of ribs with spaces between the ribs, a bottom surface, andside surfaces forming a periphery about the tile. A plurality ofsecondary support posts are formed from and extend downward from thebottom of the floor tile. A plurality of vertically moveable primarysupport posts are disposed within the opening between the ribs andcoupled to the ribs by a plurality of flexible arms extending laterallyoutward from the primary support posts and integrally formed with theribs. The flexible arms are biased to position the vertical supportmembers downward such that a bottom of the secondary support posts iselevated a distance above the ground surface when the tile is in anunloaded state. A load is placed on the upper playing surface causingthe plurality of arms to flex facilitating upward movement of thevertically moveable primary support posts within the opening of the ribsand concurrent downward movement of the floor tile until the bottom ofthe secondary support members contact the ground surface. The methodfurther comprises releasing the load on the upper playing surfacecausing the plurality of arms to return to a biased state, positioningthe primary support members downward and elevating the secondary supportposts above the ground surface.

The foregoing detailed description describes the technology withreference to specific exemplary aspects. However, it will be appreciatedthat various modifications and changes can be made without departingfrom the scope of the present technology as set forth in the appendedclaims. The detailed description and accompanying drawings are to beregarded as merely illustrative, rather than as restrictive, and allsuch modifications or changes, if any, are intended to fall within thescope of the present technology as described and set forth herein.

More specifically, while illustrative exemplary aspects of thetechnology have been described herein, the present technology is notlimited to these aspects, but includes any and all aspects havingmodifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., of aspects across variousembodiments), adaptations and/or alterations as would be appreciated bythose in the art based on the foregoing detailed description. Thelimitations in the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on thelanguage employed in the claims and not limited to examples described inthe foregoing detailed description or during the prosecution of theapplication, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. Forexample, in the present disclosure, the term “preferably” isnon-exclusive where it is intended to mean “preferably, but not limitedto.” Any steps recited in any method or process claims may be executedin any order and are not limited to the order presented in the claims.Means-plus-function or step-plus-function limitations will only beemployed where for a specific claim limitation all of the followingconditions are present in that limitation: a) “means for” or “step for”is expressly recited; and b) a corresponding function is expresslyrecited. The structure, material or acts that support themeans-plus-function are expressly recited in the description herein.Accordingly, the scope of the technology should be determined solely bythe appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by thedescriptions and examples given above.

1. A modular floor tile comprising: a top surface comprising a pluralityof structural members defining openings between the structural members;a plurality of edge surfaces defining a perimeter about the top surface;a support system integrally formed with and disposed at least partiallybeneath the top surface, the support system capable of maintaining thetop surface elevated above a ground surface when a load is not placed onthe top surface; wherein the support system comprises a primary supportmember disposed within the openings, the primary support member being(i) operably connected to a plurality of arms formed from and extendinglaterally from the structural members to the primary support member and(ii) capable of vertical movement within the opening when a load isapplied to the top surface.
 2. The modular floor tile of claim 1,wherein a top surface of each of the plurality of arms is disposedbeneath a top surface of the structural members and coupled to thestructural members.
 3. The modular floor tile of claim 1, wherein atleast two of the plurality of arms are adjacent to one another, andwherein an internal angle between the at least two adjacent arms at apoint where the arms couple to the primary support member issubstantially equal to or greater than 45 degrees.
 4. The modular floortile of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of arms extendfrom a single primary support member and are substantially collinear. 5.The modular floor tile of claim 1, wherein the openings comprise anupper plane defined by a top surface of the structural members and abottom plane defined by a bottom surface of the structural members andwherein the primary support member is disposed within the area definedby the upper plane and lower plane.
 6. The modular floor tile of claim5, wherein, in an unbiased state, the primary support member comprises avertical post having a top surface disposed between the upper plane andlower plane of the opening, the vertical post being capable of movingupward and downward within said opening.
 7. The modular floor tile ofclaim 6, further comprising a plurality of secondary support memberselevated above the ground surface when the tile is in an unloaded state.8. The modular floor tile of claim 7, wherein the primary support memberis configured to move upward relative to the opening when a load isplaced on the top surface, and the secondary support members areconfigured to concurrently move downward relative to the primary supportmember toward a bottom surface of the primary support member.
 9. Themodular floor tile of claim 1, wherein the openings defined by thestructural members comprise a quadrilateral defined by intersecting ribmembers.
 10. The modular floor tile of claim 9, wherein each one of theplurality of arms extends outward from the vertices of the quadrilateraltowards the center of the opening, wherein each arm is formed from andintegrated with a vertex of the quadrilateral.
 11. The modular floortile of claim 9, wherein each one of the plurality of arms extendsoutward from the structural members towards the center of the opening,wherein each arm is formed from and integrated with a vertex of thequadrilateral.
 12. A modular floor tile, comprising: a top surfacecomprising a plurality of openings defined by a plurality of ribmembers; an edge surface defining a perimeter about the floor tile; asupport system formed from and disposed beneath the top surface, thesupport system comprising: a plurality of first vertical support postsoperably connected to a plurality of arms extending laterally from therib members, each one of the plurality of first vertical support postsdisposed substantially within a center of each one of the plurality ofopenings and spaced apart from the rib members to move within theopenings without contact with the rib members; and a plurality of secondvertical support posts extending downward from a bottom of the ribmembers; wherein (i) when the floor tile is in an unloaded state thefirst vertical support posts are in contact with the floor and elevate abottom of the second vertical support posts above the floor; and (ii)when a load is placed on a top of the modular floor tile, a portion ofthe plurality of laterally extending arms flex to facilitate verticalmovement of the second vertical support posts into contact with theground.
 13. The modular floor tile of claim 12, wherein each one of theplurality of arms are operatively coupled to each one of the pluralityof second vertical support posts.
 14. The modular floor tile of claim12, wherein the first vertical support posts are longer than the secondvertical support posts. 15.-20. (canceled)
 21. The tile of claim 12,wherein the plurality of arms extend outward from a top portion of thefirst vertical support posts.
 22. The tile of claim 12, wherein a topportion of the first vertical support posts is substantially coplanarwith a top of the interconnected rib members when a load is placed on atop of the tile.
 23. The tile of claim 12, wherein the openings comprisea plurality of vertices, the plurality of arms being formed from theribs at the vertices of the openings.
 24. The tile of claim 12, whereineach one of the plurality of second vertical support members is disposedadjacent to each one of the vertices of the openings.
 25. A single-pieceunitary modular floor tile, comprising: a substantially planar upperplaying surface having a plurality of ribs with openings between theribs, a bottom surface, and side surfaces forming a periphery about thetile; a plurality of secondary support members extending downward fromthe bottom of the floor tile; a plurality of vertical primary supportmembers disposed within the openings between the ribs and coupled to theribs by a plurality of flexible arms extending laterally outward fromthe primary support members and integrally formed with the ribs, theflexible arms biased to position the vertical primary support membersdownward such that a bottom of the secondary support members is elevateda distance above the ground surface when the tile is in an unloadedstate; wherein, the primary support members are configured to movevertically within the openings with respect to the ribs.
 26. The tile ofclaim 25, wherein the flexible arms have a height that is less than aheight of the ribs.